Genotypic Diversity of Human Rhinovirus in Children with Pneumonia Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico.

ABSTRACT: Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most common viral causes of respiratory tract infections worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions significantly altered the epidemiology of respiratory viruses. This study compared HRV genotypic diversity in Mexican children with pneumonia before and during the pandemic. A total of 1983 children with pneumonia were included: 1404 pre-pandemic (2010-2013) and 579 pandemic (2021-2023). Multiplex RT-PCR was used for HRV detection. Genotyping was conducted on 136 samples with Ct < 30 by sequencing the VP4/VP2 region. Species and genotype assignments were validated using BLAST and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis (MEGA XII). HRV positivity increased from 16% (233/1404) before the pandemic to 60.4% (350/579) during the pan

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Ramos J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736054 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature